Choral music | Kile Smith • composer

Grammys recognize Canticle under Producer of the Year, Classical

by Kile Smith | Nov 20, 2019 | CDs, Choral music, Spirituality

Canticle helps propel Blanton Alspaugh to a 2020 Grammy nomination for Producer of the Year, Classical. Canticle is a 65-minute work setting The Spiritual Canticle of St. John of the Cross. For chorus, three cellos, and percussion, it is listed with seven other CDs...

Grammy nomination for The Arc in the Sky

by Kile Smith | Nov 20, 2019 | CDs, Choral music

Received texts of “Congrats” this morning, which puzzled me, as I didn’t know what I was being congratulated for. But then the news started slipping out that The Crossing received two nominations for Best Choral Performance for the 2020 Grammy...

The Dawn’s Early Light

by Kile Smith | Oct 1, 2019 | Choral music, new music

The Dawn’s Early Light. SATB, Cello, Four Guitars, 19′. Text: Life Among the Piutes (1883), Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins (c.1844–1891), ed. K.S., and “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814), Francis Scott Key (1779–1843). Commissioned for Conspirare and Craig Hella...

The Arc in Gramophone

by Kile Smith | Sep 7, 2019 | CD Reviews, CDs, Choral music

Laurence Vittes praises The Arc in the Sky, the CD The Crossing, directed by Donald Nally, released this summer on Navona, in a thoughtful October 2019 Gramophone magazine review. My description of the work as a “65-minute pilgrimage for unaccompanied...

Sing, Choirs of New Jerusalem

by Kile Smith | Apr 21, 2019 | Anthem, Choral music, church music, new music, Organ music

Sing, Choirs of New Jerusalem. SATB, organ, opt. brass quintet, timpani (also opt. 2 violins and brass quartet). 4′. Commissioned by the Presbyterian Church of Barrington, Kirsten Hedegaard, Chorus Director, for Easter Sunday, April 21st, 2019. Premiered there...

Jubilate Deo

by Kile Smith | Feb 28, 2019 | Anthem, Choral music, church music, new music, Organ music

Jubilate Deo. 6′. 2019. SATB, organ. Psalm 100, Latin. Commissioned by Ursinus College and dedicated to Dr. John French, on the occasion of his 40th anniversary of service to Ursinus College. Premiered 28 April 2019, Ursinus College Choir and Meistersingers,...

« Older Entries

THE ARC IN THE SKY
Best Choral Performance, The Crossing, Donald Nally

CANTICLE
Producer of the Year, Classical, Blanton Alspaugh

Upcoming

4 Oct. A Child’s Afternoon. Premiere. Anna Meyer, flute, Erik Meyer, organ. Christ Church, Philadelphia

8 Oct. The Bremen Town Musicians. Market Square Concerts, Harrisburg, PA

12 Oct. Where Flames a Word. Chicago Chamber Choir, Christopher Windle. St. Ignatius Church, Rogers Park

13 Oct. Where Flames a Word. Chicago Chamber Choir, Christopher Windle. St. Ita Catholic Church, Edgewater

19 Oct. “Jerusalem” from The Arc in the Sky CD, The Crossing. WRTI-FM Philadelphia and wrti.org, between 8 & 9:30 am, Debra Lew Harder

26 Oct. The Arc in the Sky. Ghostlight Chorus, Evelyn Troester DeGraf. Church of Notre Dame, NYC

26 Oct. The Arc in the Sky, excerpt. The American Sound, Jennifer Hambrick, WOSU Public Media, Columbus, OH, 6 pm

27 Oct. The Word of God. Word of God Lutheran Church, new building dedication, Peachtree, GA

29 Oct. The Arc in the Sky, excerpt. The American Sound, Jennifer Hambrick, WOSU Public Media, Columbus, OH, 7 pm

2 Nov. The Dawn’s Early Light. Conspirare, L.A. Guitar Quartet, Craig Hella Johnson. Austin TX

2 Nov. The Arc in the Sky. The Cantus Ensemble, Dominic Brennan. Pimlico, London

2 Nov. Spirituals for Piano Trio. Arcadian Trio. Medford Leas, Medford, NJ, 7:30

3 Nov. The Dawn’s Early Light. Conspirare, L.A. Guitar Quartet, Craig Hella Johnson. Houston, TX

15 Nov. Where Flames a Word. Chestnut Street Singers, Kevin Vondrak, St. Clement’s Episcopal, Philadelphia

17 Nov. Where Flames a Word. Chestnut Street Singers, Kevin Vondrak. St. Thomas’ Episcopal, Whitemarsh, PA

25 Nov. A Child’s Afternoon. Anna Meyer, flute, Erik Meyer, organ. Harvard Memorial Church, Boston, 7:30

30 Nov. The Arc in the Sky. The Crossing. Complete broadcast, Mark Pinto’s Classical New Releases, WRTI 90.1 Philadelphia, 4:45

2–6 Dec. Workshopping choruses from The Book of Job. Northwestern University Chorale, Donald Nally. Evanston, IL

6 Dec. Movements from The Arc in the Sky. Northwestern University Chorale, Donald Nally. Evanston, IL

14 Dec. Alleluia. Ghostlight Chorus, Evelyn Troester DeGraf. Church of St. Luke in the Fields, NYC

20 Dec. The Consolation of Apollo. The Thirteen, Matthew Robertson. Episcopal High School Chapel, Alexandria, VA, 7:30

21 Dec. The Consolation of Apollo. The Thirteen, Matthew Robertson. First Congregational UCC, Washington, DC, 7:30

22 Dec. The Consolation of Apollo. The Thirteen, Matthew Robertson. Bradley Hills Church, Bethesda, MD, 5:00

12 Jan 2020. The Arc in the Sky. Vocal Arts Ensemble Cincinnati, Craig Hella Johnson

3 Mar 2020. In This Blue Room. Lauren McAllister, mezzo, Ben Flanders, baritone. Cincinnati

24 May 2020. The Consolation of Apollo. Portland State Chamber Choir, Ethan Sperry

12 Jun 2020. The Arc in the Sky. et al., Kevin Neel, Boston

14 Jun 2020. The Arc in the Sky. et al., Kevin Neel, Boston

11–18 Jul 2020. The Consolation of Apollo. Portland State Chamber Choir, Ethan Sperry. 12th World Symposium on Choral Music, Auckland, New Zealand

Feb 2021. Vespers. Virginia Chorale, Piffaro.